


Hiding All The Tears

by Akinasky



Series: Awkward Cuddles That Go Nowhere [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: AO3 Facebook Group Challenge, Gen, Gen Work, Malec Ship is Minor, Roulette Wheel Challenge, SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3 FINALE, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 09:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15969497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akinasky/pseuds/Akinasky
Summary: Magnus has survived after losing his powers and mostly he is dealing with the loss pretty well. Maybe. With Alec's help but then Maryse comes over and decides to help him.





	Hiding All The Tears

Magnus heard the knock and tried to use his magic for the five hundredth time before he realized it was all gone. With a sigh, he stood up and walked over, opened the door and found Maryse Lightwood on the other side. 

“Maryse? To what do I owe this little surprise?” His hands moved as he talked because magic or no magic, he was still expressive even if it did feel like a joke after all the times that gesturing was a part of making the magic work.

“Alec told me what happened, I know you were healing for a while but I wanted to come see you.”

Magnus gestured for her to come in and closed the door behind them. He turned away and walked over to the wet bar, “Drinks?”

Maryse followed him, “I will have one of your specialties, something you can do with or without your magic, yes?”

Magnus sighed and wished he could just ask her to leave but this was Alec’s mother and despite their rough beginning she had become a strong advocate for their relationship and happiness, “Yes, of course.” He wouldn’t kick her out but Magnus had no desire to receive another pep talk from someone, even someone like Maryse who actually knew what he was going through in her own way. He started mixing drinks and within minutes they were served with little flourish and he returned to his table and sat down. He tried his best to lounge like none of this mattered or touched him. Maryse moved to take the seat across from him and she watched him for a moment.

“I know that I have not lived the length of time you have and the loss of my runes and my station is nothing in comparison to the loss you have experienced with the loss of your magic but you are not only your magic, Magnus. I promise you. I wanted to come here and just sit with you in this.”

“Your son sits with me in this, Maryse, and I have others who will choose to sit with me in this. I don’t understand your presence here.”

Maryse nodded looking away with a flash of shame, “It is a good point, I just care about you and the love you share with my son is something that I have told you before that I am glad he has received. I just wanted to be here. If you wish me to go instead, I will do that. I do not wish to make this worse for you.”

Magnus watched her, trying to determine if there was a trick here. If this was some of ‘old Maryse’ but he couldn’t tell which was more than a little frustrating. Without magic he should have still been able to listen to his gut instinct but it just didn’t seem to be there. He took a deep breath, “If you want to stay here and drink with me than that’s acceptable but I don’t want to talk about this. I don’t want to share my feelings.”

Maryse nodded and they continued to drink in silence. Magnus got up to mix different drinks and they talked about various Downworlder or Shadowhunter adventures. Maryse laughed and nothing ever got too deep and though Magnus had been rediscovering his alcoholic limits, tonight he whooshed right past it. He didn’t want to cry, he didn’t want to miss his magic tonight.

“Magnus, I know you have some amazing musical choices available to you in this loft, shall we dance? It seems as though laughter and distraction is the best option for the night and I have not danced in a very long time.”

Magnus haven’t danced with a woman since Dorothea and he were drinking together when he and Alec were fighting. He and Alec would have a great laugh about it later, bonding with his mother with booze and dancing. Magnus nodded and held his hand out to invite her up. He waved his hand to start the music then faltered while Maryse walked over and clicked on the record player without making a big thing about it and moved the needle. The music started and she walked back to him with a small smile.

Magnus bowed a little and Maryse curtsied before he took her hand and pulled her in for a basic square step.

They danced and Magnus didn’t really know when it happened but Maryse started drooping against his shoulder and he invited her over to the bed in the back and settled her on top of the covers and removed her shoes as she murmured about how much of a gentleman he was. When she was resting against the mound of pillows her son frequently hounded him about, Magnus walked around the bed and settled in, wondering if this was okay.

He pulled out his phone and called Alec who answered with, “Magnus, are you okay?”

Magnus rolled his eyes, “My sweet Alexander, I am just fine. But your mother drank her weight in my cocktails and now she is sleeping it off in my bed.”

“Uh huh,” Alec said, sounding confused about the purpose of the call.

“Well I am not really in the mood to sleep on the floor or the couch.”

“Are you concerned my mother will accost you in the bed?” Alec asked, smirking Magnus could hear it in his voice; he didn’t need magic to know it because he knew Alec. Magnus smiled.

“I believe sleeping with another person could very well cause question with my boyfriend.”

“Not if that person is my inebriated mother,” Alec laughed, full belly sounds that made Magnus all warm inside and reminded him that making the sacrifice had been worth it after all. He didn’t have to walk this new finite life alone. And after walking with others in his infinite life, this choice was all the more precious. He didn’t want to waste any moment.

“She came here because she had her runes removed, she wanted to offer condolence about the loss of my magic.”

Alec hummed a little, “She can be very sweet when she wants to be which seems to be frequent since her dismissal.” Magnus noticed the way he said ‘dismissal’ like a curse word. Alec was still saddened by the Institute’s actions against his mother and Magnus loved him all the more for his loving heart even after all the pain and hurt she’d dolled out when they first got together.

“What are you up to anyway?”

“I’m working with Jace and the others, dealing with the newest round of requests for the institute, mostly its paperwork but you know how I attempt to not bring it home with me.”

“Well, I do believe you are owed a wonderful dinner and something disgustingly romantic?” Magnus asked with a smile.

“I do like the idea, take an afternoon or evening off tomorrow or the end of the week?”

“Promise?” Magnus returned lightly, despite Alec’s busy schedule as the Head of the Institute, he has rarely broken a date planned.

“I don’t see why not. So get some rest and I will see you tomorrow morning?”

“Yes my love,” Magnus answered.

“I love you Magnus,” Alec replied in that quiet reverent tone he gets when he says those words. Magnus smiled and they hung up. He placed his phone back on the bedside table and turned back to see Maryse was sleeping deeply, her mouth open a little and her makeup a little messy from the evening’s festivities. Magnus smiled at the sight of her, loose and relaxed and not at all the buttoned-up, judgmental woman he’d been first introduced to.

And felt grateful for her coming over and even sleeping next to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully people enjoy this, and will understand that I tagged the Malec because they talk to each other though the focus of the story is the gen story between Maryse and Magnus. 
> 
> If this creates angry comments then I will just have to remove it but I am hoping the Shadowhunters community isn't going to be mean about this. 
> 
> Thank you for reading.


End file.
